Everything Is Awkward

June 15, 2016
The team behind Awkward Family Photos (2010) unveils a playfully cringeworthy collection of kid-centered photos submitted to their website, celebrating the idea that "everything and everyone is awkward."The opening text orients readers to the creators' construction of the word awkward: "It's kind of a silly word. But all it really means is that everything isn't always perfect." Ensuing double-page spreads juxtapose sedate, run-of-the-mill photos on the verso with, well, awkward corresponding images on the recto. Readers may laugh at the candid shots (or may worry a bit), many of which could be stills from an America's Funniest Home Videos episode. Take, for example, pages that show how even sleeping can be awkward: an Asian child sleeps serenely on a bed made up with flowered sheets on the verso, while a white child with blond ringlets sits in a decidedly awkward pose on the floor, leaning face-first against table legs on the recto. As for "everyone"? A verso image of an interracial Asian and white couple with their biracial kids is a sweet family portrait; meanwhile, on the recto, a photo of a black family shows "AWKWARD" parents smooching their adorable--and thoroughly aghast--baby on either cheek. The closing text assures readers that life is made interesting by its awkward moments as it encourages individuality and playfulness. (Mostly) totally awkward fun. (Picture book. 4-8)

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